Gratitude In Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of the wonderful things that I learnt from the west. Understand, I am very open and honest, whatever is said and done somehow the thanksgiving idea was not there; the very idea did not get engraved so much in Bharat. Only in the west, especially this function, this thanksgiving function, I saw so much of importance and respect given to it.

Yes, there are some wonderful things we need to learn. So this was one of the great things at least I learnt from this country, from this tradition. And not only that, even verbally thanking is given so much of importance in this culture, which is needed.

In the Vedic tradition thanksgiving or gratitude has become more of a spiritual quality. It was never a social quality. It was there, but more or less a spiritual quality. But here (in the west) I saw, it's vibrant, alive in day-to-day life. It is a social quality that we need to really learn and imbibe.

Maybe I can say, this is a kind of constant meditation; everyday meditation. Whenever you say the word 'thank you' it is like meditation everyday, reminding yourself how gratitude becomes a spiritual practice. Today a very funny, but mystical incident happened. Today during the performance of the rituals and offerings, I was in such a deep silence and Samadhi. I saw, behind me the group that was sitting, one or two people were a little uncomfortable. Of course, I did not see physically, but because I was in Samadhi, I can see very clearly what is going on in the minds of people around me.

I saw that a few minds were a little unsettled, a little irritated. I was

thinking, 'arey, this presence anybody will fall in tune so beautifully, so wonderfully. What is the problem?' I saw a few guys were a little agitated, because that preist who was chanting the mantra, he chanted the name THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM also along with the mantra. These few, one or two people did not understand that in the traditional chants there is a word THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM. It is another name for Shiva (a Hindu God).

I was just casually seeing what was happening. Another funny thing is, I did not even remember or hear it is as my name, because I was in such a deep Samadhi. I never felt that it was my name.

And there were a few intelligent guys, maybe who had the click or initiation, who had the gratitude or the love, I saw, the more they heard that word, they were able to feel more and more connected. And the few people, it did not happen never knew or never had any blessings or never had any benefits from the Master. The gratitude, the thanking attitude has not started yet. If that starts, you will stop judging.

The Master is like a window or a door, feeling connected to Him or being grateful to Him will open a new door of being grateful to everything, feeling connected to everything.

Thanking or gratitude is one of the very powerful qualities. In our first meditation program, the seventh technique, the quality to open the sahasrara chakra, the ultimate chakra, is gratitude. In gratitude, you will stop judging and fall in tune more and more and more. I saw today beautifully the power of thanksgiving consciously.